Morning,

You may remember that last winter we dipped our toes into clothing with the 'barbless. beanie'. A simple idea - something understated, well-made, and wearable on the bank or off it.

You seemed to like them, so we've been quietly thinking about what comes next.

Caps, it turns out.

A few months back, I was on the phone with a new friend who runs a fly shop in the States. Good shop, serious angler, knows his customers well. I asked him what his best-sellers were.

I was expecting him to name a fly. A streamer, maybe. Something with a bit of mystique.

He said: "Baseball caps"

I laughed. Then I thought about it. Then I ordered some Baseball caps.

Not those stiff, logo-plastered affairs that shout 'fishing brand' from twenty yards. Something softer. A 6-panel dad cap in 100% chino cotton - the kind that sits low, folds into a pocket, and doesn't look out of place whether you're watching a rise on the Derwent or nursing a pint afterwards;

On the front panel: Ryan's brown trout flank, embroidered.

Clean, detailed, unmistakably a trout to those who know - quietly funky to those who don't. The barbless. name sits proudly underneath it.

Three colours: Olive Green, Desert Sand, and Espresso. All of them, we think, work as well beside the river as away from it.

Over here, we don't really have the Bass Pro culture, the cap-as-uniform thing that American fishing shops do so well. But I started to wonder whether there was something in it. Not a logo-covered, brand-blaring fishing cap. Something quieter. The kind of thing you'd wear on the bank without feeling like a walking advertisement, and that wouldn't look daft in the pub on the way home.

Now - here's where I'll be straight with you.

We've had 60 caps made - 20 each in Olive Green, Desert Sand, and Espresso. 

We've ordered 20 of each. That's it. Sixty caps in total. This is genuinely a trial run. We want to see whether you want them before we commit to anything bigger. No grand clothing strategy, no lifestyle pivot - just a decent cap we thought you might like, offered honestly to the people whose opinions we actually trust.

If they go well, we'll do more. If they don't, we'll chalk it up to experience, and you'll own a small piece of Barbless Flies history!

They're £27.50 each, and it's first come, first served.

A Quick Note On Our Clothing & Hat Dispatch Times:

Because everything is made up to order, there may be a slight delay before dispatch.

But trust us, when you open the parcel, you’ll see (and feel) why it was worth the wait.

If you want to get ahead - winter, spring, or whenever - you know what to do.

Still on the 'Fish Art' theme - Silicone Fly Boxes

We've had our artist guy over in the USA (Ryan) on the tools brushes again, this time he's come up with some stunning artwork, which we just had to adorn our NEW fly boxes with - they look (and feel) absolutely stunning and are still mega-slim!

He's penned (or brushed) three separate designs for us:

We've applied Ryan's works of art to our NEW fly boxes. These lightweight triangular-slit silicone fly boxes are ideal to carry all the flies you want for a day on the water. With their super slimline design (only 15mm deep), they will easily fit into a chest or vest pocket.

SPECIAL OFFER: Buy any 2 'Fish Art' Fly Boxes for £45 or any 3 for £60, just add them to your basket, and the discounts are all automatically applied.

Each fly box holds up to 93 flies - Perfect for a full day on the water

Go on, what are you waiting for, buy one and fill it up with our flies!

'Fish Art' Baseball Cap Gallery

We’ve invested in high-end equipment and we’re doing every hat ourselves, by hand, here in North Yorkshire.

This means two things:

• A slight delay in dispatch (because every hat is made up to order - see below)
• You’ll receive something of far higher quality than anything mass-produced

Crisper detail. Better colour. Longer life. Worth the wait.

Have a great weekend.

P.S. For what it's worth, Desert Sand is the one I'd choose for my local river. Olive Green if you want to blend into the bank and go 'full commando'. Espresso if you take your coffee as seriously as your fishing.